This Gorgeous Game by Donna Freitas + Contest

Published June 2010.

Seventeen-year-old Olivia Peters is over the moon when her literary idol, the celebrated novelist and much-adored local priest Mark D. Brendan, agrees to act as her personal mentor. But when Father Mark's enthusiasm for Olivia's writing develops into something more, Olivia's emotions quickly shift from wonder to confusion to despair. Exactly what game is Father Mark playing, and how on earth can Olivia get out of it? (book back blurb)

It starts off innocent enough. Kind words. Little notes. But then it morphs. You don't see the shift at first because it's subtle. And really, it's not too much different than it was before. But then the hand comes down and you're left with a ruffled brow and a question mark over your head. The next thing you know, you're desperate to get out of the situation but you're in so deep, you don't know how.

As someone that's been in a very similar situation to Olivia, I could automatically sympathize with her. Even if I hadn't been, Olivia is a very commanding character. She's very likable, very honest. Really, it's hard not to like her. If you're a writer, you can share in her enthusiasm when she wins a coveted writing prize plus a chance to learn from a literary master. Who wouldn't love that? But it's when that power figure starts to abuse his power that things start to get ugly.

Olivia was such a pretty girl but the things Father Mark did to her (he never touched her inappropriately, in a sexual manner, mind) caused her to spiral. Her worry and her distress at the situation she was in started to show on her face. When a person you love starts to downward spiral like that, it's hard not to notice. I could actually see her at the end of the book; her face sallow, her hair lackluster, her eyes red and puffy from crying. I wanted to tell her I understood, that everything would turn out okay.

Freitas' writing just sucked me right in (obviously). She got it right. The reactions of the power player, the reactions of Olivia, they all hit home. They all rang true. I felt every twinge, every bit of happiness, every threat of fear. I could feel it in my bones. Trust me, it's a shitty feeling. But I almost wish Freitas would have done the power play with a younger man just so we could have another Albatross, another rejection of the stalker = love notion that's so dominant in YA right now. But it was amazing as is.

Father Mark had something of Olivia's that he knew he could manipulate to make his own. She's young, naive, afraid of losing it all. I can't tell you how many times I wanted to shout at the book, "drop him! Your writing life won't end! He's lying!" But she had to see it on her own. It still didn't suck any less to watch someone, even someone fictional, go through something like that. But at least she had the support structure around her to help her through it, once she brought them in, anyway.

Making Father Mark the community pillar didn't help Olivia either. It made her wanting to turn him in even harder. Who would believe her? He, a nationally recognized novelist and priest, over some pretty little blonde kid? The ending wasn't a perfect wrap-up either. A switch wasn't flicked that made everything all better. It was a slow process that we just start to see unfold as the final pages pass by. And I liked that. In a situation like this, it's not all cookie cutter. It's hard and it's painful and it's going to take a long time to heal. I'm glad Freitas didn't gloss over that fact.

You will not want to put this book down once you pick it up. You will want to soak in every single word, cheer with Olivia, cry with Olivia, scream at her, help her. So go ahead. Do it. You won't regret it. It's a hard topic but one that needs to be discussed and Freitas does an excellent job of that.

Contest Time!!!

Want my ARC? Just fill out the form below for your chance to win. Open to US residents 13 years of age and older only. One entry per person per email address. Duplicate entries will be deleted. Contest ends December 9th at midnight, EST.

Wanted Undead or Alive: Vampire Hunters and Other Kick-Ass Enemies of Evil by Jonathan Maberry and Janice Gable Bashman + Contest!

Published September, 2010.

These days you can't swing an undead lycanthrope without hitting a Minion of Evil. They're everywhere - TV, film, the basement . . . right behind you! It's never been more important to know what you can do to keep them at bay.

From today's foremost experts on nightmares come to life, this indispensable guide identifies and described mankind's enemies - supernatural beasts, ghosts, vampires, serial killers, etc. - and unearths effective, time-proven responses to each horrific threat.

• Separate fact from fiction, the deadly from the merely creepy.
• Learn when to stand your ground and when to run screaming for your life.
• Determine which monster-specific heroes to call and their likelihood of success.

Whether we're talking ancient vampire hunters or modern-day FBI profilers, it's good to know someone's got your back in the eternal struggle between Good and Evil. And this book, with over fifty illustrations as well as commentary from luminaries like filmmaker John Carpenter, author Peter Straub, and the legendary Stan Lee, provides all the information and reassurance you need to sleep soundly at night. Just not too soundly. (book back blurb)

What a thoroughly amazing book. From the definition of evil to its incarnates and how to fight it in its various forms, Wanted Undead or Alive has it all, with pictures to spare. It's a textbook on fighting evil without the boring text. From Dracula to Ted Bundy, Maberry and Bashman don't leave any stone unturned when it comes to seeking out evil and unearthing the heroes that smite them.

And don't think we're limited to your standard film and literature fare. Oh no. Take that huge section on comics for example. Not only do you get a timeline of great comic heroes, but you get to see the trials and tribulations the arena went through in trying to bring those masters, and monsters, to life. See, things got too real for people in the comic world and the Senate, yes, the Senate, initiated the Comic Code of Authority which is, in fact, still in force today although not strictly adhered to anymore. Go ahead and read the restrictions that comic artists and authors had when it came to developing and writing their comics -

As a result of the 1950s Senate hearings and protests from vocal but deeply misinformed critics, comic book publishers were bullied into censoring their own content. The Comics Magazine Association of America (CMAA) was established and instituted the Comics Code Authority (CCA). In a stunning move to ignore the First Amendment, the Comics Code seal of approval would only be given to a new wave of sanitized comics. Here's what the code specified:

• Crimes shall never be presented in such a way as to create sympathy for the criminal, to promote distrust of the forces of law and justice, or to inspire others with a desire to imitate criminals.
• If crime is depicted it shall be as a sordid and unpleasant activity.
• Criminals shall not be presented so as to be rendered glamorous or to occupy a position that creates a desire for emulation.
• In every instance good shall triumph over evil and the criminal punished for his misdeeds.
• Scenes of excessive violence shall be prohibited. Scenes of brutal torture, excessive and unnecessary knife and gunplay, physical agony, gory, and gruesome crime shall be eliminated.
• No comic magazine shall use the word horror or terror in its title.
• All scenes of horror, excessive bloodshed, gory or gruesome crimes, depravity, lust, sadism, masochism shall not be permitted.
• All lurid, unsavory, gruesome illustrations shall be eliminated.
• Inclusion of stories dealing with evil shall be used or shall be published only where the intent is to illustrate a moral issue and in no case shall evil be presented alluringly, not so as to injure the sensibilities of the reader.
• Scenes dealing with, or instruments associated with walking dead, torture, vampires and vampirism, ghouls, cannibalism, and werewolfism are prohibited.
• Profanity, obscenity, smut, vulgarity, or words or symbols that have acquired undesirable meanings are forbidden.
• Nudity in any form is prohibited, as is indecent or undue exposure.
• Suggestive and salacious illustration or suggestive posture is unacceptable.
• Females shall be drawn realistically without exaggeration of any physical qualities.
• Illicit sex relations are neither to be hinted at nor portrayed. Violent love scenes as well as sexual abnormalities are unacceptable.
• Seduction and rape shall never be shown or suggested.
• Sex perversion or any inference to same is strictly forbidden.
• Nudity with meretricious purpose and salacious postures shall not be permitted in the advertising of any product, clothed figures shall never be presented in such a way as to be offensive or contrary to good taste or morals. (295-296)

So you think authors of today have it bad? Try having to write within those confines. Comic book artists and authors of yore were the heroes fighting the evil of misinformation, lack of education and just a sheer lack of intelligence. Of course, it wasn't too long before the comics started fighting back, starting with Stan Lee and Marvel. They pretty much said 'stick my fist' to the code and the rest started to follow. Eventually.

So whether those evils are the ignorant masses trying to stifle the First Amendment, some ghoul trying to eat your face or your run-of-the-mill serial killer trying to do the same, Maberry and Bashman have a hero (or antihero) to counter those guys. The amount of research gone into formulating this novel is amazing. From film and literature greats to FBI profilers and artists that let their artwork speak for themselves, everyone has a different take on what's evil and what's needed to fight that evil.

While the monsters under the bed and creeps on the pages and screens may give you nightmares, I don't think there's anything more truly terrifying than the last portion of this book detailing real life evil in the likes of notable serial killers. Some of the details are rather graphic and I'd recommend not reading that particular part while eating. I made that mistake and, well, let's just say I lost my appetite.

If you're a writer, you'll definitely want this mini-encyclopedia in your collection for GvE reference. It will certainly broaden your scope to avenues that you probably wouldn't think of. The unconventional along with the conventional is highlighted between these blood red pages and you'll get sucked right in. Hopefully you'll be able to get back out again. If you're thrifty enough and take note of the tips doled out in these pages, you'll be sure to walk away from this sight relatively unscathed. Relatively.

Contest Time!!!

Want to win a copy? Just fill out the form below for your chance to win. Open to US residents 13 years of age and older only. One entry per person per email address. Duplicate entries will be deleted. The question must be answered in order to qualify. Entry gives me permission to post your answers on this website. Contest ends November 1st at midnight EST.

How to be a Zombie by Serena Valentino + Contest!

Published 2010.

This fantastically freaky look inside the fearsome world of zombies takes you, the newly undead, from first bite to fun-filled afterlife with hands-on hints covering:

Fitting in at home, work, and school as a zombie.

Dressing like a hideous undead creature.

Brains - do you have to eat them?

Get bitten.

Get gory.

Get your zombie on. (book back blurb)

First, let me just say the romanticizing of zombies really cranks my grinder. They're zombies. Undead, rotting corpses. What can possibly be appealing about that? But putting that aside, this was a pretty cute book. Very nicely put together, I loved the visuals that came with all of the tips. My favorites were the musical selections.

I liked how the book outlined each different type of zombie gathered from various sources and stuck to the confines of each zombie; meaning those rage virus zombies didn't have much of a chance for a romantic life since they're pretty much bat shit insane and would rip apart any significant other they came across. As much humor that was throughout the book, there is legitimate lore littered throughout which is a nice break from it all. It helps ground out the extreme that the book is taking zombiism to.

I loved all of the pictures and fonts that went along with all of the text. It complimented the entire feel of the book nicely. A mixture of digitally edited photographs and drawings, they're both heinously creepy and when need be funny at the same time. It was a nice juxtaposition throughout the book. Yes, it's pretty much making fun of romanticized zombies and banking on the extreme that people are taking it to but at the same time it's showcasing just how icky these things really are.

It gives excellent selections for zombie-related music and classic zombie movie choices. You can't really beat that. There's even a quirky comic and a couple of zombie quizzes you can take to see where you rank in the greater zombie-verse. The voice is poignant and portrays what it's trying to say as clearly as possible, with just a little sarcasm. It's definitely catering to a specific audience but at the same time those that are a little more leery of the romanticized zombie can get a kick out of what Valentino is saying.

It's quirky, funny and, yes, cute. There's just no other word for it. I love the make-up of some of the chicks in the photos and I can use other creeptastic photos for excellent triggers for writing. Can't beat that. This book certainly doesn't take itself seriously but it hits upon pretty realistic points concerning zombies that you might not have thought of otherwise. So if you want a good kick out of the zombie world, this book's a good one to do it. It's a quick read that'll have you laughing at points and taking notes at others.

Contest Time!!!

Want my copy of How to be a Zombie? Then just fill out the form below for your chance to win! Open to US residents 13 years of age and older only. One entry per person per email address. Duplicate entries will be deleted. The designated question must be answered for the entrant to qualify. Entrance into the contest also grants me permission to post your answer on this website. Contest ends October 24th at midnight, EST.

Author Bites - Michelle Moran on History

History is something that always fascinates me so it's no surprise that when I picked up Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran, I fell in love with it. With engrossing characters and a plot that sucks you in like a vortex, what's not to love? So, of course, I contacted Michelle hoping that she'd be willing to do a guest post. And she graciously agreed! Not only that, either! See the end of the post for the goodies Michelle is offering up. Thanks so much for stopping by, Michelle!

The Idea Behind Cleopatra’s Daughter

I have always been a traveler. From the time I can remember, my family was on the move, and no location was too strange or exotic for them. As a child, I stayed in every possible kind of accommodation: tents, hotels, caves, villas, even teepees and huts. So it’s no surprise, really, that as an adult I would end up doing a great deal of traveling. Out of college, I began traveling for fun, but when I discovered that writing historical fiction wasa great passion of mine, I began to travel for research. Since then, most of my destinations have been countries with rich archaeological sites. These places have been constant sources of inspiration, and on a trip to Alexandria in Egypt, I was afforded the amazing opportunity of participating in a dive to see the submerged remains of Cleopatra’s ancient city. Thousands of artifacts remain completely preserved underwater: sphinxes, amphorae, even the stones of the Marc Antony’s summer palace. Although I’m not a fan of diving, it was an incredible experience, and it changed the way I looked at Cleopatra. I immediately wanted to know more about her life, and it was mere coincidence that my next trip took me to Italy, where her ten year-old twins were brought to live after her suicide.

While in Rome, I was able to retrace the steps of Cleopatra’s children. From the Pantheon, which was being built while Cleopatra’s daughter, Selene, was there, to the Mamertine prison, it is still possible to see many of the places where Selene herself would have walked. Most impressive, however, was my visit to the Emperor Octavian’s villa on the Palatine Hill. At one time, its vibrantly painted dining room had hosted magnificent feasts, one of which would have been the celebration of the Emperor’s triumph over Marc Antony and Cleopatra in Egypt. As the heir to Caesar, Octavian was determined to rule the western world without interference. He changed his name to Augustus, and with the help of his general Agrippa and his architect Vitruvius, he turned a city of clay into a city of marble. After three million dollars in restoration, Italian archaeologists have made enormous progress in restoring this two-thousand year-old villa. They have been able to recreate not just the intimate library and studies which Octavian once used, but the mosaic floors he once walked on with Ovid, Seneca, Cicero, Horace, and even Julius Caesar himself.

As we were quickly escorted through the frescoed rooms, we stopped in the triclinium – the dining room which had once seen so many famous faces smiling, laughing, even crying for mercy. With a little imagination, it was easy to see the tables and couches that had once adorned the chamber, and there was the undeniable feeling of standing in the presence of the ancients. It was the kind of feeling you only get in Grecian temples or Egyptian tombs, and it was here that I decided I needed to tell the story of Cleopatra's forgotten children. What they witnessed while they were in Rome, how they survived, and - eventually - what became of them.

~~~

And thanks to Michelle's awesomeness, she's offered up two signed copies of Cleopatra's Daughter for a giveaway! Just fill out the form below to enter. Open to US residents 13 years of age and older only. One entry per person per email address. Duplicate entries will be deleted. Contest ends October 12th at midnight, EST.

A Couple of Winners + Summer Blast Giveaway #4

First I have a couple of winners from recently ended contests to announce. The winner of Middleworld: The Jaguar Stones Book 1 by J&P Voelkel is . . .

Daisy Mota!!!

Congratulations! I've already emailed you. And the winner of Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff is . . .

Autumn Crochet!!!

Congratulations to you too! I'll be emailing you shortly. And a big thanks to everyone that entered both contests!

Now on to this week's Summer Blast Giveaway -


Dylan Flack never wanted to leave New York City for Florida, but his mother's death changed everything. Drifting further away from his father and losing sight of his future, Dylan stumbles through a hot summer as a caddy. But a sighting of the Blessed Virgin Mary brings hundreds of worshippers to town, including the beautiful and mysterious Angela, who leads Dylan to the life-changing realization that faith requires wanting something badly enough to take a risk. (book back blurb)

This ARC is SIGNED! Want to win it? Just fill out the form below. Open to US residents 13 years of age and older only. One entry per person per email address. Duplicate entries will be deleted. Contest ends August 20th at midnight, EST.

A Winner and Traitorous Contest!

First, the winner of my Prophecy of Days, The Gatekeeper's Grimoire Book 1 by Christy Raedeke is . . .

Emma Michaels!!!

Congratulations! I've already send you an email. And a big thanks to everyone who entered!

Now normally I like to sync up book giveaways with their reviews but in this case, I just got the go ahead for it the other day, a few days after the review posted. So it's a little belated but better late than never, right? So here's the book you can win thanks to the awesome people at Carolrhoda Lab -

An enemy is hiding in Anna's barn - a Russian prisoner of war on the run from the Nazis.

Only Anna knows he's there. If she turns him in, he'll be shot.

But if she hides him, she'll be a traitor to Germany. And for that, she could be shot herself . . . (book back blurb)

This is another title from Carolrhoda Lab that you definitely don't want to miss. They're batting two for two with me, man, seriously. Their books are full of win. First Draw the Dark and now Traitor.

You can read my full review of Traitor here to see if it's something you'd like to read. But I can tell you, if you like historical fiction, especially World War II historical fiction, you won't want to miss it.

So you want to win a copy? Just fill out the form below for your chance. Open to US residents 13 years of age and older only. One entry per person per email address. Duplicate entries will be deleted. Contest will end on August 26th at midnight, EST.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare + Contest!

Pub date August 31st, 2010.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother in Victorian England, something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld. Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, who are members of a secret organization called the Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she has the power to transform at will into another person. The Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own. Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons. She soon finds herself fascinated by - and torn between - two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and Will, whose volatile moods keep everyone at arm's length. As their search draws them deep into a plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all. (book back blurb)

Potential Spoiler Alert!!!
Really, I'm going to try not to give anything away of the plot but what one sees as mundane information another may see as spoiling. This also isn't going to be a glowing review. You've been warned.

When I read City of Bones, I didn't have much issue with the story itself as I did with the writing. The text was drowning in descriptions and the plot was very derivative. I didn't read on in the series because while I was entertained by the story, I wasn't entertained enough to try and slog through Clare's writing again. I have been told that her writing does get better as the series went on but I still didn't venture.

Until Clockwork Angel. I figured by now the writing's improved enough that it isn't going to be as hard for me to get through as CoB was and if it was anything like that book, at the very least I'd be entertained.

Well, thankfully the descriptions of doom did die down substantially. The similes were kept to a minimum and they didn't slap me in the face every time I came upon one (multiple times a sentence). Having said that, the overbearing descriptions were replaced by something more awkward. Every time I did hit a simile (which, as I said, was minimal), I felt that Clare tried to find something to compare whatever it was she was comparing to to but couldn't find the words so she just settled. It's hard to explain. The similes were lackluster and, to me, read rather defeatist. Tired. I found a lot of redundant descriptions that even with a little effort could have been avoided. It was rather disheartening.

As for the overall story, it was slow. Very slow. A lot of exposition. A lot of information is learned from the characters listening in on meetings or having sit-downs or going for walks or whathaveyou. There was much by the way of talking heads and little by the way of action. Tessa was kind of getting shoved around from plot point to plot point without much will of her own. Not to say she wasn't a strong character, but instead of her moving the plot, the plot moved her. Slowly. While I found CA a faster read than CoB, I wasn't nearly as entertained and at times was rather bored with all of the eavesdropping. I get there was a lot of information to be had in this book but there are better ways to relay it.

The whole love theme talked about in the blurb is a shadow to the overall story. It's so slight that, personally, I don't think it bears mentioning in the blurb itself. As for the tearing love triangle, I didn't feel much of that either. I didn't think Tessa's "attraction" to Jem was anywhere near what I think it was to Will. By the blurb you'd think she were equally pulled to both boys. I didn't get that. But I'm sure I can see which boy she chooses by the end of the series. What girl wouldn't want to attempt to reform the asshole prick that treats her like shit? Such attractive qualities, I know. Really, there is nothing appealing about Will. He's an asshole. Yeah, he's had some bad stuff happen to him in the past (which we don't know about even as the story closes) but it doesn't make it okay for him to be a jerk to everyone. But oh, that's just Will. Blech.

The plot as a whole feels really familiar, like I've read something like it before. Really I felt the only thing that was original was the Shadowhunter deal but the more I read about their runes and all the "help" those things provide, I couldn't help but roll my eyes. A rune for opening doors. For protection. For healing. For everything you could possible need. It just seemed contrived. As for the plot: evil megalomaniac has bid for world domination, uses evil robot us-es to attempt to get it (ten points if you get that reference), wants to make confused yet super-powerful girl his wife to parasite her power, girl gets saved by superheroes, whom she teams up with to save the day. It's just . . . blah.

As for the actual clockwork angel . . . don't think you're going to find out what that is. Just don't even think about it when you start reading the book and don't try to keep guessing as the story goes along. If there is an answer, it's not in this book.

I liked a lot of the history and my favorite part was where Tessa was with the Dark Sisters. Unfortunately that was the very beginning of the book. The tension just seemed more real. I liked the mystery and the intrigue but once she's out of there, I found my mind wandering.

Overall, I was actually much more disappointed with Clockwork Angel than I was with City of Bones. The writing's nominally better albeit heinously overwritten and the story's short on action and on giant in talking heads. I see the book as being entirely exposition for what's coming in the series. Tessa gets to London. Shenanigans ensue. She now realizes what she must do. I could have lived without it but I hope it ends up in the hands of someone that'll appreciate it more than I did.

Contest Time!!!

With stipulations! I want to make sure this book gets into the hands of someone that'll read it and then spread the word about it. I don't normally limit contests like this but considering the popularity of Clockwork Angel, I don't want the copy getting sucked into oblivion, never to be seen again.

ONLY A BOOK BLOGGER CAN WIN THIS BOOK!!! Not a cake blog, a bible camp blog or a cross stitch blog. A BOOK BLOG. Yup. You heard that right. You must have a book blog to enter, at least 3 months old with an average posting rate of 2 to 3 entries per week. You will also acknowledge that you agree to review the book once you're done reading it. No time frame but the word should be spread about it. If you do not meet this criteria, do not enter. I will be verifying all entries and those that don't fit will be deleted. Other than that, fill out the form below and good luck!

Draw the Dark by Ilsa J. Bick + Contest!

Pub date: October 2010.

There are things in Winter, Wisconsin, folks just don't talk about. That murder way back in '45 is one. The near suicide of a first grade teacher is another. And then there is 17 year old Christian Cage. Christian's parents disappeared when he was a little boy, and ever since he's drawn and painted obsessively, trying desperately to remember his mother. The problem is Christian doesn't just draw his own memories. He can draw the thoughts of those around him. Confronted with fears and nightmares they'd rather avoid, people have a bad habit of dying. So it's no surprise that Christian isn't exactly popular.

What no one expects is for Christian to meet Winter's last surviving Jew and uncover one more thing best forgotten - the day the Nazis came to town. Based on a little known fact of the United States' involvement in World War II, Draw the Dark is a YA dark fantasy about reclaiming the forgotten past and the redeeming power of love. (book back blurb)

Reading this book was kind of like riding the TGV train in Europe. It starts off kind of slow, just chugging along, until it gets it footing in wide open fields and starts barreling at its full potential: ramming down the countryside at 200 miles per hour and you're sitting there wobbling with the carriage enjoying the ride but somewhere deep in the back of your mind you're hoping the brakes are good.

This was such an amazing book. The more I read, the more I wanted to devour. I didn't want my lunch break to end because I wanted to keep reading. Would they notice if I went I few minutes longer? I just swallowed it up once I got over the beginning. It did meander a bit and it was a little slow to start. I felt getting into Christian's head could have been trimmed some because I was starting to feel, after a while, like saying 'get on with it.' Oh get on it did.

When I first met Christian I initially thought he was a little slow, mentally. Just the way he talked and the way he was portrayed as acting he just didn't seem like he was "all there," is I guess what you would want to say. But by the end not only was I totally over that notion, I thought Christian was actually a brilliant kid with a power that he didn't know how to wield so he functioned around it, not knowing how to control it. I loved him and felt for him and I was right there behind his eyes with him every step of the way.

I want to say this book is historical fiction but, technically, it doesn't fit the bill. But Christian relives the memories of people so much and I learned so much history about Winter through Christian's eyes that it's hard not to call it historical fiction. It also has fantastical elements too. It doesn't start out that way but once we start seeing that Christian isn't just strange but actually has the power to see people's thoughts, draw them out and tap into their darkest fears to actually destroy them, the fantasy starts coming out.

What I liked most about that, though, was that it's fantastical grounded in the realistic. We don't really know what's going on with Christian but we're in his head experiencing everything he is. But all of his visions are rooted in reality. He's not seeing Fey or ghosts but genuine memories from the past that help to solve a decades old murder and vindicate lives lost, both literally and figuratively.

The history that Bick draws on, Nazi prison camps in the US, just spurned my want to find out more. Really? Nazis here? I knew that our own government rounded up Japanese when we entered the war and relocated them to camps but we had POW camps? A quick Google search uncovered an extensive list of all the POW camps in the US just after World War II. One was about 20 minutes from where I live now, at the local airport. Reading, even fiction, enlightens us to historical facts sometimes. But in the midst of all of this, the strife that this caused this town of Winter (whether the actual events were real or not) is horrifying. A town populated by Jews are losing their jobs to Nazi prison workers. When they tried to unionize, the POWs took their jobs then too. Horrible.

The ending was bittersweet. It wraps up the overall story and the mystery aspect of the plot but at the same time shatters something so sweet and innocent it actually took my breath away. It doesn't end on a fluffy, happy note, but an empowering one. Christian has grown up. He's not seen as some weirdo that likes to draw and keeps to himself all the time. He saves people. He solves murders. And he still draws. He tried his hardest to break out of his own shell and let people in. But even at the end, whether he survives his own accomplishments is in question.

The writing is glorious, compelling, and will suck you right into your own sideways place. Maybe you'll want to crawl out and back into the light. Maybe you won't. But you'll go in there and meet Christian. You'll curl up in his brain and ride his life with him. You'll feel his pain, his fear, his anger, his frustration. And when the last page turns, you'll be feigning for more.

If you want a book that'll tug at your brain and your heart all at once, read Draw the Dark. It's a gripping historical fiction set during the present day and told through the eyes of a teenager with a miraculous and terrifying gift. Once you hop aboard the train, it'll take you away and while you might be afraid of the speed, you won't want to get off. You'll never want it to end.

Contest Time!!!

The lovely people at Carolrhoda Lab has graciously given me a copy of Draw the Dark to give away (because I'll be damned if I relinquish my copy!). Trust me, guys. You want to read this one. Just fill out the form below for your chance to win!

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter + Contest!

First published in 2007.

After staking out, obtaining, and then being forced to give up her first boyfriend, Josh, all Cammie Morgan wants is a peaceful semester. But that's easier said than done when you're a CIA legacy and go to the premier school in the world . . . for spies.

Cammie may have a genius IQ, but there was still a lot of things she doesn't know. Like, will her ex-boyfriend even remember she exists? And how much trouble is she really in after what happened last semester? And most of all, why is her mother acting so strangely?

Despite Cammie's best intentions to be a normal student, danger seems to follow her. She and her friends learn that their school is going to play host to some mysterious guests - code name: Blackthorne. Then she's blamed for a security breach that leaves the school's top secret status at risk.

Soon Cammie and her friends are crawling through walls and surveilling the school to learn the truth about Blackthorne and clear Cammie's name. Even though they have confidence in their spy skills, this time the targets are tougher (and hotter), and the stakes for Cammie's heart - and her beloved school - are higher than ever. (book flap blurb)

I really like the first book just for how grounded in reality all of the characters were. Well, as realistic as genius, teenage, female spies could be. This book is no different. We get to see Cammie softening up a little bit. The outside world seeps in and she's not as invulnerable to normal teenage girl things after all. But despite all of the outside forces working against her, she tries her hardest to maintain her eye on the prize, putting being a spy student first and thinking about the repercussions of her actions in association with that. All of her friends follow suit and I like how they haven't changed character from the last book. Except Macey but in a good way. To stick it to her father, she aims for straight A's because he feels that her report card of A's and B's couldn't have been had by her alone. That she must have cheated. When she didn't. I liked Macey even more in this book and she's fitting in great with the rest of the girls.

I don't want to give away what Blackthorne is but I was less than thrilled with their appearance. I think the story could have been just as good working around having them actually come to the school but I do understand the reason Cammie's mother gave at the end for why they brought them there.

The climax of the book I could see coming as soon as it started. Not to mention the situation made me question the thought process of these supposed spies. They're supposed to be functioning three steps ahead of everyone but when the school is breached and top secret information is stolen, it seemed kind of out there that the only people to retrieve it were a bunch of sophomore girls. I didn't think spies were supposed to act first, think later so this portion of it made it hard for me to suspend my disbelief and just go with it. The pieces didn't match up and, personally, I felt the whole class should have figured that out well before the big reveal was made.

Another boy enters Cammie's life and really, the entire time I was hoping they wouldn't get together because he really was a prick. He was very condescending to her, always talking down to her, being nasty to her. I didn't like the way he treated her and, good for her, she stuck to her guns and was like, WTF? There was some back and forth there because she was just as antagonistic back and it's hard to get over that whole school yard "I'm going to pull your pigtails but not because I hate you" mantra and he did have some issues that made them more similar than Cammie originally thought. I really liked how Carter wrote out that relationship and kept Cammie true to Cammie instead of forfeiting her girl power for a hot guy. Big thumbs up there.

Overall I didn't think it was as good as the first one and I felt the plot was reaching a little further as well but I love the characters and I love how they stay true to themselves. I think this is something that's lacking in YA as of late and it's refreshing to see the likes of Cammie stand up to what she believes in while at the same time still being human. Underneath all that spy facade is a teenage girl. She still has weaknesses and we still see them but she's strong enough to know just who she is and she doesn't lose herself. I love it. Definitely a recommended read for anyone looking for a stronger female main character that can stand her ground but still be human and relatable at the same time.

Contest Time!!!

I have a copy of I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You and Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy for one lucky biter! Just fill out the form below for your change to win. Good luck!

poetry speaks who i am edited by Elise Paschen and Dominique Raccah + Contest!

Pub date April 6th, 2010.

This is not poetry class . . .

There is no memorization required . . .

There will not be a test . . .

But there are more than 100 amazing poems about you, who you are, and who you are becoming. Dive in - find the one you love, the one that makes you angry, the one that makes you laugh, the one that knocks the wind out of you, and add your own inside the book. (book back blurb)

I'm not too big into poetry but with compilations like these, I tend to grab onto them. In this case, the editors did an amazing job of compiling old and new work into a compendium of poignant and touching poetry for teenagers (and really, anyone that's still a teenager on the inside).

You have Langston Hughes, Edgar Allen Poe, Maya Angelou and Percy Bysshe Shelley mixed in with more current writers like Sherman Alexie and Nikki Giovanni. The editors chose perfect poems from the past that, despite their age, young adults of today can still relate to and they can still be touched by them.

Some of my favorites were Caroline by Allison Joseph (about teasing and protecting), In the Fifth-Grade Locker Room by Rebecca Lauren (about chicks and puberty), Bra Shopping by Parneshia Jones (I don't think I even need to explain), Dream Variations and Dreams, both by Langston Hughes (because Hughes is a poetry god and can do no wrong), Oatmeal by Galway Kinnell (about going it alone, or not), If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking by Emily Dickinson (yet another slightly reclusive and batty poetry goddess), Ozymandia by Percy Bysshe Shelley (one of the best poems I've ever read about the fading of popularity, basically), The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost (a classic about standing up on your own), and the first prose by Rainer Maria Rilke (on writing).

Personally I don't think it's fair to review the individual poems because poetry is something so intensely subjective (moreso than novels, I think) that it just wouldn't do them justice. I didn't think any of them bad at all but I loved some more than others. I didn't listen to the CD as I'm not a fan of actually listening to poetry but I'm sure it would only heighten the effect of reading the work on its own.

As I said, the editors did an awesome job of compiling such great works and I would highly recommend this book to anyone that has even a slight interest in poetry. Even if you don't, it's a quick read and you never know; you might just get something out of it.

Contest Time!!!

I have one ARC in hand and Sourcebooks is putting up two finished copies of this book for a giveaway, so I'll have 3 winners total. If you're interested, just fill out the form below. Good luck!

500 Followers Love Contest!

So I hit 500 followers over the weekend. Woohoo! Thank you all! And to show my appreciation, I'm going to hold a contest (not like my 300 followers contest held at around 415 followers). With this one, I'm going to have two winners who will get to choose their choice of any of my Five Bites books! Excluding Labyrinth by ACH Smith. That book is out of print, exceptionally rare and runs for about $150. You can buy that one yourself.

Review list of books rated Five Bites

Titles Include:

Albatross by Josie Bloss
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Field Guide to the Little People by Nancy Arrowsmith
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The Amanda Project: invisible i by Stella Lennon/Melissa Kantor
A Big Little Life by Dean Koontz
The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick
Fade to Blue by Sean Beaudoin
Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
Why We Suck by Dr. Denis Leary
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Horse and His Boy by CS Lewis
On Writing by Stephen King
The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures/Ghosts and Hauntings/Secret Signs and Symbols/Witchcraft (choice of one)
Cirque du Freak: Tunnels of Blood by Darren Shan
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant by Darren Shan
The Vampire Hunter's Handbook by Rafael Van Helsing
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew by CS Lewis
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Rennie Brown and Dave King
How to Live with a Neurotic Dog by Stephen Baker
Images of America: Santa Cruz, California by Sheila O'Hare and Irene Barry

(don't let anyone tell you I don't give positive reviews!)

So the fine points one more time:

• Two winners
• Each get to choose one book from the above list (excluding Labyrinth)

Dig? Just fill out the form below and we're good to go! Thank you, everyone, for helping me to get to this milestone!

Unseasonally Spooky Contest!

My contest section is a little lonely up there and I did say I was going to have a 300 followers contest how long ago? I was waiting for something that never arrived, hence the delay. But it's about time now.

What's up for grabs?

Vampire Stories edited by Richard Dalby


The Lovecraft Necronomicon Primer by T Allan Bilstad


Your Neighborhood Gives Me the Creeps by Adam Selzer


The Vampire's Assistant movie release omnibus by Darren Shan (here, here and here)

Click the links to see my reviews. There'll be three winners! The first place winner will get their choice of two books. Second place will get their choice of one book that's left and the third place winner will get the remaining book. Sound good? Then fill out the form below to enter!

Open to US residents only and will end on February 11th at midnight. Good luck!

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak + Contest!

First published in 2005.

By her brother's graveside, Liesel Meminger's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Grave Digger's Handbook, left there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordion-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.

But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up and closed down. (book back blurb)

Nothing says Merry Christmas like having your heart torn out and stomped on by some red and black-wearing pus hole. You know, for whatever reason, I don't know why, I'm irrevocably drawn to books taking place during World War II, more specifically the European Theater and many times, the Jewish plight and what they went through. I spent a semester researching concentration camps for a paper for a class called Jewish Literature. Talk about depression. And I mean verifiable. Do you now they found 3 tons of human hair at Auschwitz when it was liberated? 3 tons. 6,000 pounds. Can you even imagine how much, visually, that is? And Dachau is a constant presence in this book as the town, Molching (Mol-king) is a walk (they don't say how far but far enough for the starving Jews they march through the town) down the street. Close enough to smell, that's for sure.

But this book offers a different perspective. Liesel is the daughter of a Communist, or a suspected Communist, that's sent away to live with some foster parents because her mother is being taken away. Her brother was supposed to go with her but he didn't survive the trip, however he does make a posthumous appearance a couple of times in order to guide Liesel on her way. It's in this foster home that Liesel grows up a good blonde German, except she has brown eyes. She's halfway to Aryan but if push came to shove, it wouldn't be enough.

Her Mama (foster mother) is a bulldozer but her Papa (also foster) is the loving, caring, consoling parent in her life. He's the father she never had and offers her the helping hand that she never had. The boy next door, Rudy, becomes her best friend but she loses him all too quickly. And her family too. For a girl so young she certainly loses so much. But in the end she gains back something so intensely important to her that it could rightly heal the wounds that have been torn in her psyche for years. It's because of this regained entity that she ends up surviving, after all. She owes so much.

What I liked most was how the third person omniscient narrator was Death. And he isn't some dude in a black robe swinging a scythe. Or so he says. But it offers such an amazing and clear perspective of what's going on not only with Liesel but all around her that it just sucks you in. All of these World War II stories are about how death affects life. Well how about how life affects Death? He is, after all, haunted by humans. And he tells a damn good story too, that's for sure. And he's not subtle either. When he alludes to something, it's very blatant but it doesn't ruin anything. It just prepares you for what's coming.

Even for its length, even for how long it took me to read it (longer than normal, a little more than a week), I didn't want to put it down. The story builds up at the end to the prologue at the beginning and you can't help but want to know what happens in between to get to that point. What's the deal with the Jesse Owens incident? What's with the kiss? What is with Liesel's compulsive kleptomania?

The Nazi stronghold isn't the dominating force of this story but it fuels it. Liesel is where she is because of the Nazis. She becomes the person that she does because of the Nazis. She writes because of the Nazis. Without them, would Death have even taken an interest in her? Would he even want to tell her story? Would she even have a story without the Nazis?

And, again, it's a damn good story. It's coming of age in Hell. True to form Hell. Where the wrong eye color can get you kidnapped. Where reading can get you in a camp. Where not joining the right (or, well, Reich) party can get you shipped off to die. Where you lose everything that you've ever loved, even, at times, the words that held you together. Teens today think they have it tough. Right.

If you like stories set during World War II, if you want to read about a girl with such strength and emotion that it'll tear your heart out, if you want a good cry, read this book. It certainly won't disappoint.

Contest Time!!!

Fill out the form below for your chance to win my copy of The Book Thief! Contest ends 1/12 at midnight, EST. Open to US residents only. Good luck!

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan + Contest!

First published in 2006.

Nick's just seen the girl who dumped him walk in . . . with a new guy. What else can he do but ask the strange girl next to him to be his new girlfriend for the next five minutes?

Norah would do anything to avoid conversation with the not not-friend girl who dumped Nick . . . and to get over the Evil Ex whom Norah never really totally dumped. What else can she do but answer Nick's question by making out with him?

With one electric, unexpected kiss, the five-minute couple of Nick and Norah set off on an uncharted adventure called the "first date" that will turn into an infinite night of falling in and out (and in and out, and maybe in and maybe out) of love. Theirs is a first date of music, laughter, heartache, confusion, passion, taxi driver wisdom, and a jacket named Salvatore. And of course a killer soundtrack.

As Nick and Norah wander through the middle-of-the-night mystic maze of Manhattan, they share the kind of night you want to never end, where every minute counts and every moment flickers between love and disaster. (book back blurb)

You know, I really liked this book. I was a little worried I wouldn't because I kept hearing all over the place that the language was a little too hip for its own good and when I think of something like that, I automatically think of those trying-too-hard Clique-type of books that just overreach to the point of dislocation. So I was half-expecting something like that but I got was language that was really grounded and really normal.

Okay, not totally normal but what teen is? It borders on stream-of-consciousness with punctuation (thank god, I can't stand walls of text without a break to mimic "real" SoC, blech) and it actually feels like you're in the alternating heads of Nick and Norah as the story bounces back and forth between the two. Some of their thoughts are pretty out there, but then again, so are most of mine but they're situationally charged. They make sense in the moment. They're realistic, not superfluous. They're true to the voice of the character, not the author writing the character. I loved it. I thought the swearing as a little much. I mean, I swear like a fucking sailor and even I don't say "fuck" that much. Other than that, I thought the voices, the moments, the crazy thoughts, were totally cool and totally true to the makings of Nick and Norah.

The only character that I didn't truly believe was Trish, Nick's ex-girlfriend. I thought she was a little much and I just had a hard time believing that someone could actually be like her and still be taken as seriously as Norah tends to take her. She just didn't hit the right nerve with me. It's kind of hard to put my finger on but it has to do with all the "bitch" she says and what she gets away with. It irked me.

I liked how Norah isn't Trish. You know what I mean? Norah is the rich girl from the rich neighborhood with the dad who knows all the celebrities, but she's not Trish. She's not a bitch, she's not popular, people don't strive to be like her. She just is. In flannel. And Nick isn't a jock. He's not even really that cool of a band guy. He's the nerd that doesn't get any ass. Doesn't help that he doesn't want the ass that's thrown at him but that's besides the point. He's normal. He's attainable. He isn't a prick that all the girls fawn over (really?). He just is. In ugly shoes.

My favorite part about this book was the relationship. Again, REAL. This isn't love this story is talking about (although the blurb would say otherwise). It's SOMETHING. It's something that feels awesome and could so be taken to another level but thank god for that old couple that walked in at just the right time to make them realize that maybe they shouldn't be doing that just yet and let's just step back because I Wanna Hold Your Hand.

That, right there, I Wanna Hold Your Hand, is the essence of this book. Nick brings it up a couple of times and it makes so much sense and its so ingenious. It isn't about this gut-wrenching, wrist-slitting love that all these books talk about because you don't get that right away. Eventually if you're lucky, but not right now. In the beginning, and maybe for a while, there's just I Wanna Hold Your Hand. It's a simple act of caring that screams so much and means so much more than fucking and sucking and biting and stalking. It just is. You can chase and be chased. You can like without grabbing. You can have fun without hauling overboard. You can work shit out and still have someone standing there when you're done. It's simple and it's in that simplicity that it's so great and fathomable and deeper than any sparkly glitter love could offer. Nick and Norah know more about each other in one night than Edward and Bella know about each other in four agonizing books. There's more than smell and hotness. There's hand-holding. There isn't a fear that that person won't be there or won't call because you know they will. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon. There's no need in agonizing. It'll be okay. Your hand will be held.

If you want a realistic budding relationship, something that has longevity, that burrows far below superficiality and into a person's being, into a person's hand, if that's your type of love story, then pick up this book. This is probably the most realistic teen book I've read yet with the most realistic characters (not to mention the most relatable), the most realistic situations and a plot that'll just suck you in and spit you out and have you wondering if you just got laid or a beat down. Awesome. Totally awesome.

Contest Time!!!

You want my copy of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist? Just fill out the form below!

The question, name and email are all requirements. +2 for new followers/subscribers, +3 for old followers/subscribers, +3 for links up to 3 (for a total of +9).

The contest will end on January 5th at midnight, EST! Good luck!